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Dying Linen Thread for Bookbinding; Tutorial

Today I’ll show you how I colour my linen thread for bookbinding. If the pictures look a bit odd, it is because I am taking the picture with one hand and showing the process with the other. I need a camera man.
I haven’t taken a picture of the reel of thread but if asked will post a link to the type I have.

This is the ink I use

1. As ever my ink of choice is Ranger’s Adirondack dye based ink. I use this purely as it works and it is the product I have most colours of.

3. Having cut a piece of thread to the length you require, lay the thread across the ink pad.

4. (I am having to take my own pic)With one hand press down on the foam with one hand, and with the other, pull the thread slowly through (under the foam) and out the other side. Repeat this until you have a colour tone that you like.

5. A light application of ink will give you a thread with a mottled tone.

The coloured thread

6. You will need to enlarge this picture to see but, with a few more swipes the thread can be coloured to give a full colour.

Wax your thread after colouring to seal in the dye

7. The ink is a water based dye, so you will need to seal the colour in using bees wax.
I will post a how to wax your thread tutorial as soon as I can blag a camera man. It will look mad unless you can see two hands for that process. (This picture does show uncoloured thread being waxed! The colour hadn’t come off!)

I am looking for a way of waxing my own threads while this is in regard to dying I am not sure if you started with a normal thread or pre waxed.. I have intentions of using misc threads from my stash to make threads for binding.. any help would be apreciated..

All my threads are natural un waxed linen. This is clearer in the video version of this tutorial I made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-2XMBx5O7Y&feature=channel The thread needs to be unwaxed to colour it, as the wax would resist any colour you try to add. Check out my video waxing Linen thread for bookbinding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReIkIF8AFes for how to wax your thread. The process of waxing is the same for any of your threads. Colour first, allow any dye or ink to dry and then add a layer of wax over the top to seal in the colour.

The amount of wax you put on your thread depends on the kind of binding and the kind of thread. A thin thread would not need much wax, a thicker thread will need more. If you intend to use your thread for exposed spine style of binding, coptic stitching for example then apply a more generous coating of wax. If your thread will be covered by a card cover for case bound books then you just need a lighter application of wax.

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